People of color in Someone Lived Here episodes

The Hori Bathhouse and Neely Mansion: Tenant Farming in Washington

March 13, 2023May 21, 2024 admin1 Comment

This 1890s home was farmed by five families, each with their own story

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In the sixth episode of season 3, Kendra brings you to Neely Mansion in Auburn, Washington. The property was built by the Neely’s: a pioneer family, but it was home to tenant farming families from the early 1900s to the 1980s. Behind the house is a Japanese Bathhouse built by the Hori Family and further back a tool shed used by the Acosta family. We had the pleasure of talking with Julie Acosta who grew up on this farm and worked with her parents here.

This story wouldn’t be possible without the work of the volunteers who saved this house from an uncertain future in 1983. Kendra spoke to many of the women who saved at Neely Mansion. Thank you to Linda, Carol, Karen, and Julie for talking with us. Learn more about Neely Mansion Association on their website and keep an eye out for volunteer opportunities if you are in the area.

Images from the day of the interview were taken by Ada Horne. Tim Cahill created our music. You can find a full transcript of this episode below.

Panoramic photo of the Fukuda Family above the fireplace in the music room in the Neely Mansion

Kendra and Julie Acosta looking at two disk plow

Below is a transcript for S3E6 of Someone Lived Here at The Neely Mansion in Auburn, Washington. If you have any questions about the show or suggestions on how to make it more accessible please reach out at someonelivedhere@gmail.com.

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The Cayton-Revels House

August 8, 2022March 13, 2023 admin

Explore the Capitol Hill home of newspaper editors

The Cayton-Revels House on 14th St E in Capitol Hill Neighborhood of Seattle

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In the fifth episode of season 3, Kendra brings you to The Cayton-Revels House in Seattle, Washington. Horace Cayton and Susie Revels Cayton were the home’s first owners. Together the couple owned, edited, and wrote the longest-running Black-owned newspaper at the turn of the century in Seattle. Susie was the daughter of Hiram Rhodes Revels the first Black United States Senator elected in 1870. Through the episode, you learn the Cayton-Revels family story and how it intertwines with this home and with US history.

The private home was recently landmarked through the work of Taha Ebrahimi, who took quick action after learning the history of the home. She had the full support of homeowners Kathy Ackerman and Erie Jones, along with the family friend and descendent of Horace and Susie Cayton, Harold Woodson Jr. It was the friendship of Harold’s mom, Susan Cayton Woodson who helped preserve the family connection to this home.

Read Taha’s landmark application or the book The Cayton Legacy by Richard S Hobbs to learn more about this remarkable family. The archival work of Ed Diaz was extremely helpful in putting together this episode. If you’re interested in doing landmark work watch this recording of Taha’s experience.

Images of the property provided by Kathy and Erie can be found below. You can find a full tra nscript of this episode.

The music for our show is by Tim Cahill.

If you like this episode and want to hear other episodes about writers check out the following: Edna St. Vincent Millay’s Steepletop, Louisa May Alcott’s Orchard House, and inventor and poet Lewis Latimer’s House.

The Cayton-Revels house from ad in Seattle Republican in 1909

The Cayton Family on the front porch in 1904, Right to left, Row 1: Horace Cayton, Susie Revels Cayton, Emma (Susie’s niece) Row 2: Madge, Horace Jr (held), Ruth.

Harold Willliam Woodson Jr., great-grandson of Susie Revels Cayton and Horace Cayton, on the porch to spread, his mother, Susan Cayton Woodson’s ashes in 2013.

Below is a transcript for S3E5 of Someone Lived Here at The Cayton-Revels House in Seattle, Washington. If you have any questions about the show or suggestions on how to make it more accessible please reach out at someonelivedhere@gmail.com.

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The Greenwood District, before and after the Tulsa Massacre

June 15, 2020June 9, 2021 admin

The homes and buildings of the Black community and The Dreamland Theatre

Greenwood District and Dreamland Theatre

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In the season finale of Someone Lived Here we learn the story of the Greenwood District in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The neighborhood was 35 blocks and became known as Black Wall Street. It was a thriving Black community and the site of The Tulsa Massacre. It was later rebuilt even bigger than before, but today very few original buildings are standing. We follow the story of the Dreamland Theatre and the owner, Loula T Williams and her son, William Danforth Williams.

In this episode, we interview Hannibal B Johnson, an attorney and writer from Tulsa, Oklahoma who has written multiple books including Black Wall Street: From Riot to Renaissance in Tulsa’s Historic Greenwood District and Images of America: Tulsa’s Historic Greenwood District.

Thank you to the Tulsa Historical Society & Museum for use of their audio recordings.

At the end of the episode, Kendra gave herself a homework assignment. She would love for you to join. The description is below:

Research the history of your town or city, your neighborhood, your state.

Ask questions like: Were there Black communities here? Were there native communities? Were violent acts committed? When and where was that highway built? Were people of color displaced? See what you find, but then here is the most important part. Add what you find to your town or cities Wikipedia. Include your sources.

Wikipedia is how the world learns about a place or a topic. And these histories are often written from one source and I think it’s worth adding a lot more. It is not the responsibility of historians of color to uncover wrongs. It is the job of everyone to uncover the past so we can recognize the damage and use that knowledge to build a future.

Below are some additional resources that might help in your research. I will be adding more to this list, along with best practices for updating Wikipedia pages:

Renewing Inequality is a tool developed by a team at University of Richmond. It allows you to see displacement caused by Urban Renewal map its timeline and who was affected.

Saving Slave Houses is a project by Jobie Hill which documents still standing slave homes across the country.

Below is a transcript for season 2, episode 6 of Someone Lived Here and the story of the Greenwood District before and after the Tulsa Massacre. If you have any questions about the show or suggestions on how to make it more accessible please reach out at someonelivedhere@gmail.com.

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The Homes of Harriet Jacobs

May 4, 2020June 9, 2021 admin

At the corner of King and Broad Street the former home of the writer and anti-slavery activist, Harriet Jacobs

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In this episode, we remember the homes where Harriet Jacobs lived both in Edenton, North Carolina and where she wrote Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl in upstate New York. In her book she told her own story as an enslaved woman, later generations would assume her editor Lydia Maria Child was the author.

Below is a transcript for season 2, episode 3 of Someone Lived Here, the homes where Harriet Jacobs lived.. If you have any questions about the show or suggestions on how to make it more accessible please reach out at someonelivedhere@gmail.com.

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Lewis Latimer House

June 17, 2019April 11, 2023 admin

Explore the Queens home of inventor Lewis Latimer

Lewis Latimer's house currently — Photo credit: Lewis Latimer House Museum

Listen to the 10-minute bonus episode for the Lewis Latimer House which takes recordings I couldn’t fit in like the family piano, additional artwork and poetry of Lewis, and more on the Latimer family’s creativity. You can listen by joining Someone Lived Here’s Patreon at any level.

In this episode of the podcast Someone Lived Here, Kendra brings you to the Lewis Latimer House in Queens, NY. Lewis Latimer was an inventor and electrical pioneer who shaped the history of objects we still use every day. He was African American and the son of slaves.

While you walk through the Queen Anne style home you’ll learn about Lewis Latimer and the ups and downs of his career. Through his journal entries and poetry, you’ll better understand his relationship with his work, his race, and his family. He was a poet and an artist so you’ll hear one of his poems entitled The Worker.

Thank you to Alex Unthank for guiding us through the home and teaching us more about Lewis Latimer. The Lewis Latimer House Museum is a member of the Historic House Trust.

Lewis Latimer and his house in the 1900s — Photo Credit: The Queens Library

Lewis Latimer the subject of this podcast episode — Photo credit: The Queens Library

Lewis Latimer's invention, the carbon filament — Photo credit: *Lewis Latimer House Museum*

Music by Tim Cahill. Icon artwork by Ben Kirk.

YouTube Video of Lewis Latimer podcast episode with captions and imagery

Below is a transcript for the second episode of Someone Lived Here at the Lewis Latimer House in Flushing, Queens. If you have any questions about the show or suggestions on how to make it more accessible please reach out at someonelivedhere@gmail.com.

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